All-Purpose Pizza Sauce

Season this simple homemade pizza sauce recipe with a variety of herbs for plenty of Italian-inspired flavor. Once you've mastered the classic tomato sauce for pizza, try our puttanesca, tomato basil-pesto, and garlic-robusto variations.

Directions

In a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients except the salt and water. Taste sauce and whisk in 1/4 cup water and enough salt to taste. If necessary, add more water to thin. Peter Reinhart says, "If the sauce is thick at this stage, it will be pasty on the pizza. It should easily spread over the dough.") Taste again and adjust the salt, if needed.

For an 8- to 10-inch pizza, use 1/4 cup of the sauce. For bolder flavor, add the variations to the basic sauce.

Caramelized Garlic

Place 1 cup of peeled garlic cloves (3 to 4 bulbs). in a small saucepan with enough olive oil to cover the garlic (about 1 cup). Simmer over medium heat about 20 minutes, until garlic is a rich dark golden brown on the outside. They should develop what resembles a crust. Continue to cook until garlic is dark, rich brown. Stir occasionally to prevent garlic from sticking to the pan and burning. Remove from heat. Let garlic stand in oil for 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer garlic to a plate lined with paper towels. Transfer remaining oil to a jar with tightly fitting lid. Separately refrigerate garlic and oil, tightly covered, up to 2 weeks.